Take me Back to the Start
by jaotvdspn1994
Summary: Want a peak behind the curtain of Jax and Mel's childhood? Look no further. Here is a series of flashbacks that helped build what they have become in Present Day. Based off of Just Married.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my readers! This is the first official chapter of the series of flashbacks I plan to post involving Mel and Jax as both teens and children. The flashbacks might not go in time order, but I will give you the heads up right before the new chapter begins. This chapter was posted in Just Married's later update, but I added some more to it to make it better for you all. I hope you enjoy!**

Linda finished unpacking her and her husband's belongings in the room she once called her own.

She was in utter disbelief that the universe managed to drag her back to Charming.

And what better way to do so by giving her mother multiple tumors on the brain.

Her mother was supposed to be in the hospital, preparing for tomorrow's surgery.

But, the stubborn bull refused and said she will not go to that hospital until the minute her scheduled surgery is about to begin.

The sound of small shoes running across the hardwood floor within the hallway just outside her bedroom paused Linda's endless thoughts and concerns, making her head turn toward the open bedroom door.

She peaked her head out, finding her daughter running down the hall toward her mother's room.

"Melanie!", she whispered, causing her to stop in her tracks to turn and look at Linda.

"You can't be runnin' about inside. Your nana needs to rest and she can't do that with you runnin' up and down the hallway like the tazmanian devil okay," she stated, stepping out of the bedroom to bring herself closer to Melanie.

"Okay mommy. I'm sorry," Mel replied as she looked up at her mother.

Linda bent down to her five year old's height, touching the side of her face.

"It's okay, Mel bear. Ya know, mommy just finished up packing. Do you still want to head over to the park?"

A huge smile crossed Mel's face.

"I'll take that as a yes. Go on and get your buckets from your new room."

Melanie took off in the direction of her bedroom.

"Mel, what did mommy just say?"

She stopped running immediately and walked the rest of the way.

Linda chuckled to herself and headed toward the front door, picking up her car keys off the table placed a few feet away from organized shoe rack.

* * *

When Linda drove every couple of feet, her eyes shifted back to her daughter to see what she was up to in the backseat.

She has learned early on that her child was a wild card and was capable of doing anything with all resources surrounding her at that given moment.

With each time she did, she found Mel swinging her legs back and forth as she looked out the window with full blown wonder in those big brown eyes of hers.

"How much longer, mommy?", she asked, looking away from the window.

"No more than five minutes, Mel bear."

"That's too long," she huffed, turning her attention back to the window in disappointment.

"I know honey. It's a lifetime," she replied sarcastically.

* * *

Mel looked forward, seeing a set of occupied swings and a large jungle gym in the distance.

"Mommy, we're here!", she yelled, leaning forward in her car seat.

"You see, I told you, no longer five minutes."

"That wasn't five minutes. I think you counted wrong."

Linda pulled her brand new silver Camry into the only parking spot available.

Already unbuckled, Mel gathered her many multicolored buckets that were scattered all over the car's floor.

"Mel bear, do not leave this car yet. We'll go to the park toget.."

Mel ignored her mother, opening the car door.

Leaving the door open, she sprinted toward the crowded park with her buckets clanking together and her auburn pigtails bouncing all over the place.

Linda quickly got out of the vehicle to chase after her hyperactive five year old.

"Why can't she ever listen," she asked the universe as jogged after her.

With no other children in the sandbox, Mel plopped herself down inside of it, beginning to fill each and every bucket with a different amount of sand.

Linda reached the sandbox, ready to scold her.

But, seeing how happy she was, she thought better of it and walked over to the benches that were occupied with parents.

"Is this seat taken?", Linda asked.

"No."

Gemma moved her purse, looking up at Linda.

"Linda?"

"Gem?"

Gemma stood to her feet, bringing her in for a hug.

"When did you move back to Charming?"

"Yesterday. My mom isn't doing so great. Joe and I came back to take care of her," Linda replied as she took a seat with Gemma following suit.

"Ah shit, I'm sorry."

"Me too. Where are your boys? I want to see how big they got because I have a feeling pictures won't do them justice."

"Jax is attempting to swing on the monkey bars with Opie and my Thomas is right here," she smiled, turning the baby carriage where he was asleep.

"They're gorgeous, Gem. You better watch out. They'll be lil heartbreakers once they reach sixteen."

" Don't I know it. Where's Mel?"

Linda turned her head, pointing at her daughter who was still in the sandbox.

" She's beautiful as well, Lin. I see a lot of Joe in her. Especially with those large brown eyes of hers."

" Everyone says that. The only thing she inherited from me is my rebelliousness. My mom always wished for a grandaughter like me. The evil bitch got her wish," she laughed along with Gemma.

Melanie carefully flipped over the final bucket of sand, slowly pulling it from the sand's mold.

Before the bucket was completely removed, a blonde haired boy and his friend who had shaggy brown hair ran into the sand box, jumping up and down onto her unfinished castle, laughing hysterically while doing so.

Mel stood up with tears brimming in her eyes.

"Hey, why'd you do that?", she asked, looking down at the large mountain of sand that used to be her sand castle.

"It was ugly anyway," Jax replied, continuing to jump onto the pile of sand.

In response, Mel stepped forward, shoving Jax with enough force for him to stumble and fall.

His head caught the corner of the wooden sandbox and the arm he tried to catch himself with got scraped against a rusty nail sticking out of the aged wood, automatically making him ball his eyes out.

The overcrowded park looked their direction.

Linda and Gemma stood up, discovering it was their children that was causing the scene that was unfolding within the park.

Gemma unlocked the wheels of the baby carriage and quickly followed Linda to see what happened.

"Mel, what happened?"

"She pushed Jax," Opie answered for her.

"Is that true?"

"He ruined my castle!"

Gemma stopped the stroller in front of a hysterical Jax.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell happened?', she asked, picking him up, applying pressure to his bleeding head with the material of her long sleeved shirt.

"My daughter shoved him."

"But, he ruined my castle mommy."

"That doesn't give you the right to hurt people, Mel."

"Yes it does."

"Melanie Elizabeth..", Linda rubbed her forehead in frustration.

" I need to take him to St. Thomas. Op, come on."

Opie followed behind Gemma as she exited the park.

"We'll come with. My daughter is going to apologize whether she wants to or not."

Melanie sat back down in the sand, attempting to go back and fix her demolished castle.

"I don't think so."

Linda picked her up, gathering her daughter's buckets.

She began to cry herself, kicking and squirming in her mother's arms.

"You will say sorry Mel bear. What you did was wrong. If you don't, you will be forced to be around him until you do."

That threat only made Mel cry even harder.

 **Alright my readers, that is all for chapter one! The next flashback I've been working on is when they're in high school and Mel's father has his health scare that leads to his untimely death. Until next time...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello my readers! Here is the second chapter( or should I say flashback) that I churned out of Take me back to the Start while listening Lifehouses' "broken" came onto my radio! This chapter takes place with Mel and Jax now being sixteen years old. Let me know what you think!**

The arguing has gotten worse between my mother and father.

What were they constantly arguing about, you ask?

What seems to be the root of all evil in every relationship.

Money.

We were living paycheck by paycheck and it has pushed them to their breaking point.

My mom states she's more than willing to pick up extra shifts at the Pharmacy she currently works at to give them some breathing room.

My father would immediately shut the idea down, and said she works hard enough already ( she works a minimum fifty hours a week) and it's his responsibility to take care of his family, and he'll just pick up a third job.

I moved my heavy bookbag up and over my body, resting the strap on my right shoulder.

I walked over to my dresser, yanking out the small drawer located on the far left.

I set the drawer on top of my dresser's cluttered counter top and pulled out my growing wad of money that I've made from waitressing at the local diner and helping out Gemma with the bookeeping at Teller-Morrow.

I shoved the money in the back pocket of my jeans and opened my bedroom door, heading down the hall that eventually led to the kitchen.

Thankfully, the arguing has now subsided.

Dad was sitting at the kitchen table on the house phone with the electric company while my mom continued to make breakfast for the three of us.

"Morning," I greeted with a forced smile.

"Good morning Mel bear," my mom replied, returning an equally forced smile.

"Can you just give me until Friday? I'm tapped until then," my father pleaded into the phone.

The reply wasn't what he wished for.

He hung up the phone shortly after, holding his head in his hands.

"Hey dad.."

He looked up at me, giving me a grin.

"Mornin' baby girl."

"I want you and mom to have this."

Linda turned away from the stove to look at her daughter.

I reached into my back pocket of my jeans, pulling out the rolled wad of money that was secured with a rubber band, placing it standing up in front of him.

"No Mel, that is your money. We are not taking our daughter's money," my dad shook his head repeatedly, attempting to hand me back the money.

I refused to take it back and closed his hand around the cash.

"I'm not taking it back. What I have there should help cover some bills. You and mom shouldn't have to carry it all."

"Yes we do, Mel. Because we're the adults," he replied with tears forming in his eyes.

" Well, even adults need help now and then. Please dad, just let go of your pride a little and let me help."

Linda covered her mouth in shock as tears rolled down her face.

How could their financial struggles gotten this bad to the point where their own teenage daughter felt the urge to intervene?

That's her money she has worked for.

She's supposed to do what she wants with it.

"Mel, your dad is right. We can't take your money."

"Exactly, it's my money and this is how I want it spent."

My dad stood up from the head of the kitchen table, pulling me into a firm embrace.

He pulled away from me, brushing my long locks behind my right ear.

"You're a good girl, Melanie," he stated, kissing my forehead.

"I'll begin to pay you back Friday."

"No need. I'll always make more."

The sound of a motorcycle placed their heavy conversation on hold.

My dad closed his eyes and sighed.

"What's he doing here this early?"

"The tires on my car needed rotating. It won't be ready till later this afternoon. He's just giving me a ride to school. I promise you, it's just for today."

"That's how it starts. You may not see it, but I do."

" See what, dad?"

" The way he looks at you. "

I started to laugh.

"No disrespect dad, but I think your sight is off. Jax is with Tara."

"Tara or no Tara, I know what I see. Wait, if Tara is his girlfriend, wouldn't she be the one on the back of his bike? Unless you plan on riding on the god damn handlebars."

"No, Tara's dad won't allow her on the bike."

"Smart man. Sounds like a rule I should start enforcing."

Jax knocked on the front door, causing my father to close his eyes and sigh once again.

I shook my head, making my way to the front door.

"Hey, are you ready to go," Jax asked with a smile and the spare helmet in his hands.

"Yeah."

"Hi Linda, Hi Mr. Torres," Jax greeted as he looked past me, giving my parents a small wave.

"Hi sweetheart," my mom replied.

My dad didn't respond and just continued to glare at Jax.

Jax looked away from my father and looked back at me.

"Can we go now before your father beats the shit out of me?"

"Yes."

"Wait Mel, you can't go yet. What about breakfast?", Linda asked, jogging to the front door to prevent us from leaving.

"We have to. First period is in twenty minutes," I yelled as Jax and I mounted his brand new motorcycle.

* * *

I was one of the first to finish the pop quiz my history teacher Ms. Taylor just delivered to each one of our desks.

I turned my quiz over to its opposite side and set my pen along side of it.

Jax, who sat next to me due to assigned seats, hit me lightly on the arm to get my attention.

"Flip your quiz back over," he whispered.

"You didn't read the chapter last night, did you?"

"No."

"Jax.."

"I know, I know. But, you have no idea how fucking hard it is being a prospect. It takes up every minute when I'm not here."

Ms. Taylor stopped pacing back and forth in front of the classroom, adverting her eyes to Jax and Melanie.

"Mr. Teller and Ms. Torres, this is a pop quiz, not a group assignment. No talking."

The intercom that was hooked up in the classroom came on, causing everyone to look in the direction of it.

" Attention all students, Melanie Torres, please report to the principal's office immediately."

Everyone "ooohed and ahhhed" at me, wondering what kind of shit I got into this time.

Jax, who sat next to me, looked away from his quiz, giving me his full attention as I gathered my belongings.

"Hey, let me know what goes down."

" I always do," I smiled before I abandoned my desk.

Tara and her good friend Connie exchanged glances since they were sitting in the same row as one another.

Connie leaned foward to get close to Tara.

"You still believe nothing is going on there?"

As I came closer to the principal's office, I could see my mom talking to the receptionist through the large glass window.

I opened the office door, touching my mom on the shoulder.

Once she turned to face me, I could now see she was crying.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"It's dad, honey. He collapsed on the construction site today, complaining about chest pains. "

I swallowed harshly, feeling my emotions begin to get the best of me.

"Is he.."

"He's at St. Thomas. I don't know much else, but the doctor assured me he should make a full recovery. I just wanted to update you on what is going on. If you want, you can head back to class."

"No, I'm going with you."


End file.
